Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-07-20
From Scripture.

trogen is converted into nitrates.
From Scripture.
The busy, exciting season ls upon us,
writes the editor OF the Mirror and
Farmer, the season of hard work and
long days. The great object for us all
to accomplish is to get our hay in the
best possible condition and to do the
greatest amount of work in the short
est given time. With our modern ma
chinery it is possible to make a short
season of it. No need now OF having
it extend into August, as [ have
known farmers to do. AS [ write this
[ am reminded of how two men used
to NOW in exactly opposite ways.
The minister visited a. one morning
and found him leisurely swinging his
scythe without any apparent object
in view.
"Tell me-" said the minister, chow
it is that you take your work so easi-
ly when every one else seems so hur.
ried?"
"Why, l mow," he replied, "accord-
ing to Scripture.
CHOW is that ?"
"Let,, your moderation be known to
all men," he said, as he lazily whetted
his scythe.
The minister passed on to B., and
found him working might and main.
Curious to know what the reply would
be, he asked him why he worked so
fast.
Il NOW according to Scripture" re-
piled B."
Chow is that ?"
"Whatever thy hand fndeth TODD,
do it with thy might" promptly re
sponded B., and his farm showed the
superiority of his rule. I think it has
not become obsolete with the intro
duction OF the moving machine.
The Ancient and Modern PIow.
The pillow in some form doubtless
dates back at least $500 or 1000
years, as proved by chiseled slabs up
on ancient mountains. For many
centuries it was q crooked limb of q
tree. One of the earliest representa-
tiOns shows it as being drawn by tour
men who took portions of the branch
es upon their shoulders, while two
other men walking behind hold it to
the ground with hand or feet. The
first plows drawn by cattle were guild
ed by q single handle, while the plow-
man, with his free hand, sowed the
grain. Other men followed as attend
ants to scare away birds and prevent
them from picking up the grain before
1t should be covered by the ploW.
The Greeks believed the pillow was the
gift of the Goddess Ceres, and probab-
ly would have considered it sacrilege
to try to improve it by any human
ingenuity. This is doubtless one rea-
son why the ancient pillow remained 80
long in use without any material
improvement in it's construction, It
is sometimes shaped so as to raise the
soil, as by q flat wedge; at other times
the wedge was turned on edge to move
the soil to one side and secure an open
furrow for the seed to fall into, but it
was not until the fifteenth century
that there was any Indication of the
idea Of combining the two forms of
the wedge into the twisting mold
board. 1t twas only :. little more than
q century ago that the plow began to
take the general form Of the pillow of
the present day, and the improve
ments are due to q number Of invent
ors in different parts of the world.
The Dutch Of Holland gave the pat
tern for all our subsequent improve
ments, but to Thomas Jefferson is due
the principle of the discov-
ry and demonstration OF the
twist in the mold-board. Web
ster took much interest in the i'm
provement of plows, but it remained
for Governor Holbrook, of Vermont,
to give US the perfect pillow of the
present day.